Volunteer firefighter gets attorney in arson case

HUTCHINSON, Kansas (AP) — A former Kansas volunteer firefighter who is accused of setting more than a dozen fires late last year has hired an attorney and will appear in court next month.

Hutchinson attorney Rick Roberts entered an appearance Friday on behalf of 19-year-old Arlington resident Cody Knox. The former Reno County volunteer firefighter is accused of using a lighter to set 14 fires in county fields between Oct. 16 and Nov. 27, many of them near Arlington.

Reno County Emergency Management Director Bill Guy says Knox became a volunteer firefighter in May 2011. He didn’t know when Knox was suspended but confirmed he is no longer a firefighter.

Knox was arrested April 26 and is free on $7,500 bond. His next court appearance is June 4.